So Montownia Food Hall has only been around since 2023 but if you're checking YouTube, blogs, etc., about what to do in Gdansk this place pops up. I've had mixed experience with food halls. Over the past 10-15 years they seem to be popping up everywhere. I remember
Mercado Roma was a sensation when it opened in 2014. There was even a
satellite location in a semi-random spot on Miguel Ángel Quevedo in Coyoacán for a few years before that inevitably closed. My sense is these places can feel templated, food-hall-by-numbers type of experiences where you're paying a premium for the trend / buzz factor. I guess that's true for a lot of restaurants, though, isn't it? Anyway, I wasn't planning to go out of my way to visit Montownia. And its location is a bit out of the way, up near the shipyard. But as it happened we had an
evening boat tour leaving from the shipyard around 8:30. The Montownia Food Hall was on the way from our Airbnb to the boat tour's meeting point. So stars aligned and we decided to check it out.
First thing you notice is that it's part of a sharp, new development that includes condos, light retail, even a
loft-style hotel.
The location has an interesting history which I encourage you to
read. In addition to the
restaurants there are also art installations contributing to the overall atmosphere. I'm a sucker for posters, so this room caught my eye.
We did the customary lap around to see what's what and decide what to order.
Landed on
Dim Sum Ramen (yes, our commitment to eating Asian food across Poland continued), where we got a basket of dim sum that were delicious. We paired that with an order of spicy Korean fried chicken from
Chix. Also delicous. While waiting for our food I moseyed over to
Tap Bar to peruse the selection. Nice try before you buy philosophy they had there. And the barkeep put me into a tasty IPA. (Wish I remember exactly what it was. Craft beer in Poland was consistently good.)
Net: glad we went, would recommend. If you're going to be up in this part of the city visiting the sights you could do far worse than popping in here for a meal and a beverage.
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